CLASSIFICATION OF DAIRY PRODUCTS
A number of products are manufactured from milk. These products are being made and consumed in India since ancient time. Indigenous milk products provide the means of preserving precious milk solids and surplus milk for a comparatively longer time than the fluid milk whose shelf life under Indian tropical conditions is only 5-6 hours at ambient temperature. The chilling facilities for preserving raw milk are highly inadequate and legally no chemical preservative can be added to milk for this purpose. In this situation conversion of milk into milk products is the best option, because methods of preparation are simple, don’t require costly equipment and suits the rural conditions. For better understanding of the nature of the products, indigenous milk products can be conveniently classified into five major categories.
I. Concentrated/Partially Desiccated Products
The products are made by concentrating the milk by using heat energy. Moisture percent in milk gets reduced due to evaporation of vapours of the product. Based on extent of heat treatment product characteristics such as smell, colour, aroma and texture imparted to the products.
Eg: Khoa, Rabri, Basundi
II. Heat and Acid Coagulated Products
These are the coagulated products obtained upon addition of acidulant(s) to heated milk. Extent of removal of moisture controls the texture.
Eg: Paneer, Chana.
III. Frozen Products
These products should be either frozen or refrigerated.
Eg: Ice cream, Kulfi etc
IV. Fat Rich Products
These products are rich source of milk fat.
Eg: Ghee, Makkhan (desi butter), Malai etc.
V. Fermented Products
Lactic cultures are used to ferment the milk at specific temperature and for specific duration. Dahi is the well known product since from ancient time and misti dahi is popular in eastern region.
Eg: Dahi, Shrikhand, Butter milk etc.